OCU Service at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Draws Criticism Over Recorded Choir

KYIV — As reported by UOJ-Ukraine, representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) held a “liturgy” at the Church of the Conception of St. Anna in the Lower Lavra on August 30, 2026, during which a recorded choir track was apparently used in place of a live choir.

The use of the recording became a subject of controversy online after a livestream of the service was posted on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Facebook page. Whenever the choir was expected to sing, a recording could be heard instead, with its acoustics appearing inconsistent with the size of the church. The incident prompted questions from viewers about whether the audio had been added or edited during the broadcast.

The practice drew criticism from several commenters, including Oleksandr Tarasenko, choir director at the OCU’s Transfiguration Cathedral, where Oleksandr Drabynko serves. “Who are we trying to fool? This is edited,” Tarasenko wrote. Another commenter, Mariia Sydyr, said the editing could be heard from the opening notes, while a user named Maksym pointed out that the event was being livestreamed and questioned why a recording was being used instead of a choir.

Some OCU clerics responded more favorably. Cleric Mykola Kapitula called the development “very good,” while Tarasenko sarcastically acknowledged that the “tape recorder” was “singing very well.” He later described the audio as crude editing and called the apparent addition of a choir track despite the absence of a visible choir “a disaster and a terrible precedent.”

At roughly an hour and 20 minutes into the service, a few chanters can be seen and heard singing without any recordings added on.

Previously, the UOJ reported that an OCU cleric said no evidence of Moscow ties made a UOC ban difficult.